Yes, you'd think Indonesian and Thai cooking would be very similar given that they are countries where the peoples are close to each other and in constant contact. Surely, they must have swapped recipes. Plus the ingredients available must be the same as the climates are similar.
From what I can work out, Indonesian cuisine is known for its complex and "layered" flavours, combining sweet, sour, salty, and spicy tastes, aswhere Thai food is more balanced and tangy.
INDONESIA
Ingredients
Common ingredients are soy sauce (kecap manis), tamarind, turmeric, galangal, and coconut milk.
Dishes
The result is such wonderful dishes as
Nasi Goreng - fried rice wuth a sweet soy sauce
Rendang - slow-cooked dry curry made with beef, coconut milk, and loads of spices. I can make this, it is like Thai curries.
Satay - skewered and grilled meat served with peanut sauce. Chicken satay.
THAI
Ingredients
Thai cuisine Is a bit different. Its flavour profile is renowned for its balance of five fundamental tastes: sweet, sour, salty, bitter, and spicy. It is based around fish sauce, lime juice, lemongrass, and Thai basil.
Dishes
The result this time is such wonderful dishes as
Tom Yum - this is maybe the hot and sour soup you are talking about though it's usually with shrimp, but can be with chicken. It is a watery soup flavoured with lemongrass, kaffir lime leaves, galangal, and fish sauce. Really really nice when it's soaked up in cooked rice.
Pad Thai - is Stir-fried rice noodles with eggs, tofu, shrimp or chicken, and a tangy tamarind sauce.
Green Curry - that I mentioned above green curry is one of several there's red yellow and Penang. These are all really spicy and creamy - green is made with green curry paste, coconut milk, and a variety of vegetables and meat.
PREPARATION
Also worth noting that with Thai cooking everything is prepared and chopped up in advance and then the actual cooking happens very quickly and the result is a very fresh and vibrant taste.
LANNA CUISINE
Also worth noting that here it is Northern Thai cuisine, aka Lanna cuisine, with milder flavours compared to the fiery dishes of the South.
You might like
Khao Soi.
Sausages - Chiang Mai is also famous for its sausages, not to everyone's taste.
Nam Prik Pla or Kepi - There is a really spicy and tangy flavouring called Nam Prik Pla (water, chilli, fish). It's really fiery and tangy, made from chopped up chili and garlic, fermented shrimp paste, fish sauce in vinegar and lime juice. You get umami from the shrimp paste and fish, spicy due to the chilies, tangy from the lime juice and salty to balances the overall taste from rhe fish sauce. It's a great dressing for many meaty dishes, rice, steamed veg, fried fish...
https://www.bbc.co.uk/food/collections/indonesian_food
https://www.bbc.co.uk/food/articles/great_thai_food
https://www.bbc.co.uk/food/collections/simply_thai
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